If you like retro games you're going to get a kick out of the Windows Phone game Radiant. Radiant has enjoyed success on other platforms and based on playing the game for a few days, it should have similar success on the Windows Phone platform.
Radiant comes across as a combination between Space Invaders, Galaga, and Asteroids. Add the pixilated graphics and you get an 1980's arcade feel with Radiant (and that's not a bad thing).
The main menu for Radiant has options to start the game, access the online leaderboards, tweak the settings, and view the developer's about screen.
Radiant has three levels of play; Casual, Survival and Hardcore. Add 100+ gaming levels, over ten boss fights, six upgradable weapons, and twelve special power ups and Radiant has plenty of gaming to keep you busy.
The story line has you taking a stand against an invading alien horde by taking the fight to them in your starship. Controls are simple in that you press the left side of the screen to move your starship to the left. Press the right side of the screen to move right. Your starship fires automatically. The alien hordes can cause damage to your starship by either their lasers or ramming into you. Radiant gives you three lives and when those are all gone, game over.
The alien hordes comes at you in waves and as an added challenge, some levels of play have you dodging giant asteroids. Along the way you earn cash that can be used to upgrade your starship's weapons. If you tap and hold your starship, a menu will pop up displaying which weapons upgrades you have available. Just tap on the icon and your in business.
My only knock is that you can't control your starship's fire rate. Adding a fire control button may make things a little too difficult to manage though. The old arcade games made it easy. One hand controlled the joystick, the other kept tapping the fire button. I wouldn't mind seeing the rate increase though or maybe use the accelerometer to control movement and add a fire button?
Regardless of the control layout, Radiant is an entertaining game for your Windows Phone. Game play and appearance has a retro feel without feeling antiquated plus there's an addictive quality to the game. Radiant will help you pass the time and satisfy that itch when you're just in the mood to play a video game.
Radiant does have a free trial with the full version running $.99. You can download the game here at the Windows Phone Marketplace.
